The Guinness World Records has been in publication since 1955, and has been awarding its famous, sometimes dubious, honors to the uniquely talented ever since. Got fingernails longer than an SUV? There’s a record for that. Can you bicycle backwards for 60 kilometers while playing the violin? There’s a record for that as well. Now it seems that the Call of Duty series has received a distinction as well, and it actually has nothing to do with sales.
It’s makes perfect sense that the London-based record publisher would delve into the world of interactive entertainment, honing in on gamers’ competitive desires for records and leaderboards. Civilization has finally received answers to its burning questions such as who can hold the longest Dance Dance Revolution marathon (or, similarly, LittleBigPlanet 2).
Recently, however, Guinness has decided to eschew personal achievement for personal opinion - and the results promise to be nothing short of controversial. Similar to their fan polling of the best video game series of all time, Guinness World Records surveyed 13,519 gamers as to which video games featured the greatest ending. To no one’s surprise, almost every single game was a product of the 21st Century, and #1 on the list was Activision and Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops with its star-spangled ending and unique twist on the Kennedy assassination.
Here are the top 50 winners in full:
Now, interestingly enough, Guinness did fully acknowledge that the list would “cause heated debate among passionate gamers,” and we can’t help but think of that as the sole reason for this blatant popularity contest even existing.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Halo: Reach The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 God of War Red Dead Redemption Portal Metal Gear Solid 4 Final Fantasy VII Heavy Rain Super Mario Bros. Pokemon Black and White Halo 3 Halo: Combat Evolved Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Portal 2 Grand Theft Auto IV Mass Effect 2 Super Mario Galaxy 2 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Kingdom Hearts Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Shadow of the Colossus Assassin’s Creed Assassin’s Creed II Metal Gear Solid Sonic the Hedgehog Super Mario Galaxy Mass Effect Kingdom Hearts II Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Sonic Adventure 2 StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty BioShock Gears of War 2 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Fallout 3 inFamous New Super Mario Bros. Wii The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Super Metroid Half-Life 2: Episode Two Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Call of Duty: World at War The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Crysis 2 Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Resident Evil 4
Games, as an art form - you heard us right Roger Ebert - allow for the player to interpret them as they see fit, so we won’t lash out at anyone for saying that their favorite ending was that of Call of Duty: Black Ops or even Duke Nukem: Forever. But much the same way chart-topping music or blockbuster movies aren’t always the best indicator of quality, a fan vote will always cloud the issue more than it will clarify it. To try to create a “definitive” list placing Black Ops above stellar narratives like Red Dead Redemption, Halo, or Resident Evil 4… well, that’s just vain.
Just in case you wanted to relieve it in all it’s splendor, though, or don’t care to be spoiled, here it is - the greatest video game ending in the history of the homo-sapiens species [SPOILERS]:
